Sports
Football

Spartans dump Dogs in hall-of-fame game

The Sudbury Spartans took on the North Bay Bulldogs at James Jerome Sports Complex on Saturday, June 24, 2017. Sudbury won 21-1. The Spartans honoured their four newest inductees into the Northern Football Conference Hall of Fame -- Dave Janakowski, Terry Huhtala, and the late John Laban and Frank Pagnucco — during a halftime ceremony. Ben Leeson/The Sudbury Star/Postmedia Network

On a night when the Sudbury Spartans sent past legends to the Northern Football Conference Hall of Fame, they also displayed some of their best young talent on the gridiron.

Sophomore defensive back Konnor Gillis returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Eric Stokes caught a TD pass from Aaron Campbell as the Spartans downed the North Bay Bulldogs 21-1 at James Jerome Sports Complex on Saturday night.

“It was nice,” smiled Gillis, who scored on 65- and 85-yard returns. “It’s a long run, but whatever — it’s for the win.”

The victory was Sudbury’s second over North Bay this season and, perhaps more importantly, one of the most complete efforts the Spartans have put forth this year, following off-season turnover at several positions.

“We’re meshing a lot better,” Gillis said. “The offence is staying together, not getting down on each other, defence is helping out offence, offence is helping us out. It’s going well. We’re peaking at the right time.”

They needed to, after posting a 1-3 record to start the season. Sudbury’s offence, though still not a well-oiled machine, pieced together more good drives Saturday than it could earlier in the year. And North Bay, despite an honest 60-minute effort, was unable to make the Spartans pay for their mistakes and miscues. The Bulldogs’ only point came on a field goal attempt that rolled through the end zone.

“We’re not 100 per cent there yet, but it’s getting better, week by week,” Spartans head coach Junior Labrosse said. “The defence, I would say, has been jelled since the beginning of the season and now, you’re starting to see it on the offence.

“Once you get that complete team unity in all aspects of the game, we need to improve on a lot of stuff, but we can surprise a lot of people.”

Days after Labrosse publicly called on Campbell to step up and lead the Spartans offence, the youthful QB threw a TD pass to Stokes to give Sudbury a first-quarter lead.

Campbell was hit hard later in the half, however, and had to leave the game. Jordan Cecchetto, Sudbury’s former pivot and current quarterback coach, entered the game and showed he was still capable of playing the position, setting a good rhythm and scrambling well for extra yardage.

Gillis scored his first major in the second quarter, making a great read to pick off a pass and loping down the sideline for the score.

The second-year DB made another big pick in the third with the Bulldogs threatening, and yet another for his second, longer touchdown in the fourth.

Massimo Cimino connected on all three of his point-after attempts.

Things got chippy as the game went on, with shoving and even punches thrown after whistles, setting up a potential slobberknocker when Sudbury and North Bay meet for a third and final time on July 22.

“I guarantee the third game is not going to be pretty at all,” Labrosse said. “That’s what happens when you schedule these types of games. Usually in football, you meet an opponent once and in football, if you meet somebody three times in the regular season, guess what — you’re going to develop a respectful hate. That’s what builds good rivalries. Do we like North Bay? No. Do they like us? No, but we’re OK with that.”

There was a different kind of respect, even reverence, when the Spartans honoured their latest group of hall-of-fame inductees — Dave Janakowski, Terry Huhtala, and the late John Laban and Frank Pagnucco — during a halftime ceremony.

Many Spartans alumni turned out for the game and induction, making the win a special one for Labrosse.

“When you see the alumni that we have, guys like Mike Fabiilli, guys like Dave Janakowski, who I had the privilege to play with and learn a lot from, like Terry Huhtala, who when I came in as a rookie was that vocal leader in the huddle — he made sure when you played defence with him, he made sure you were on the same page with him. After Terry retired, I kind of took it upon myself to be that vocal leader, holding everybody accountable, including myself, to build team character. I owe a lot to those guys. I knew Frank Pagnucco as an executive member. He was a hell of a guy and he loved this team with a passion. Whatever he did was for the betterment of the team, so doing that in front of these guys and the alumni was huge.”

The Spartans are on the road for the rest of the regular season, starting with a stop in Oakville on Canada Day. Game time is 6 p.m.